Synopsis
A shoe company executive who has mortgaged everything he has becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and is conflicted over whether he should pay the ransom.
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Cast
- Toshirō MifuneKingo Gondo
- Tatsuya NakadaiChief Detective Tokura
- Kyōko KagawaReiko Gondo
- Tatsuya MihashiKawanishi, Gondo's secretary
- Isao KimuraDetective Arai
- Kenjirō IshiyamaChief Detective 'Bos'n' Taguchi
- Takeshi KatōDetective Nakao
- Takashi ShimuraChief of Investigation Section
- Jun TazakiKamiya, National Shoes Publicity Director
- Nobuo NakamuraIshimaru, National Shoes Design Department Director
Recommendations
- 100
The New York Times
A sizzling, artistic crackerjack and a model of its genre, pegged on a harassed man's moral decision, laced with firm characterizations and tingling detail and finally attaining an incredibly colorful crescendo of microscopic police sleuthing. - 100
The A.V. Club
Miraculously, High And Low turns the mundane follow-through of police work into the stuff of white-knuckle suspense. - 100
Chicago Tribune
Superb crime thriller. [07 Sep 1998, p.1N] - 90
The Dissolve
Few movies have ever been as subtly, methodically composed as High And Low, in which every shot reflects, to some degree, the dichotomy presented by its title. - 90
Paste Magazine
The most tension-filled ransom exchange sequence ever filmed works perfectly as the midpoint break between the two halves, which eventually begin to converge as a potent study on the psychological effects of income inequality disguised as a straight genre piece. - 88
Slant Magazine
High and Low is a masterful cinematic elevator connecting two warring social perspectives, finding a common ground between them in the pressurized corners of the classic crime drama. - 83
The A.V. Club
While not a masterpiece on par with Kurosawa's best work, High And Low is a fine example of his craft, and further proof that it's not a few masterpieces but the overall scope of a career that defines a great director. - 80
Empire
This lesser known Kurosawa feature is worth a look, with outstanding performances and stunning cinematography.
